1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a produce mandrel system and more particularly pertains to rotating a piece of produce such as a fruit or vegetable while removing its exterior surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The outer skin on many fruits and vegetables are difficult to peel, labor intensive and very slow. Although the marketplace is already receiving limited delivery for prepared fruits and vegetables by hotels, restaurants and institutions, prepared fruits and produce are becoming more popular among consumers, therefore, demand upon commercial producers and processors is increasing to provide a reasonably priced product. Small to medium size processors find they are missing out on this market. As a result, processors have reached a point where automation, semi-automation or any tool to help produce peeled produce at a reasonable cost is in demand. This produce mandrel solves this problem for small to medium size processors as is and can be further developed for large producers, but the mandrel portion with its pin and guarded design would remain the same. The produce mandrel shown is in its basic primary design state, optional add-ons would include an automatic knife arrangement, automatic feed, automatic discharge, slitting, gulleting, washing, conveying and packaging to complete a fully turn-key operation.
The use of food processing equipment of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, food processing equipment of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of removing the surface from produce through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,307,829 to D. L. Ellis discloses a citrus fruit parer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,192 to Cycyk et al. discloses a potato cutter. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,011 to Heim discloses a fruit paring and cutting apparatus.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a produce mandrel system that allows rotating a piece of produce such as a fruit or vegetable while removing its exterior surface.
In this respect, the produce mandrel system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of rotating a piece of produce such as a fruit or vegetable while removing its exterior surface.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved produce mandrel system which can be used for rotating a piece of produce such as a fruit or vegetable while removing its exterior surface. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of food processing equipment of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved produce mandrel system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved produce mandrel system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a support table. The support table has an upper working surface in a horizontal plane. The upper working surface of the support table has a drive end and a driven end. A central operating region is provided between the drive end and the driven end. The support table has legs extending downwardly from the upper working surface. Next provided is a driven cylinder. The driven cylinder has an interior end formed with a point positioned above the central operating region of the working surface. The driven cylinder also has an exterior end over the driven end of the working surface. A central section of the driven cylinder is provided between the exterior end and the interior end. A driven support is next provided. The driven support has an upper end. A cylindrical bore is provided in the upper end. The cylindrical bore receives the driven cylinder for axial reciprocation and for rotation there within. The driven support also has a lower end mounted on the working surface adjacent to the driven end. Next provided is a driven control assembly. The driven control assembly includes a drive rod. The drive rod has an upper end formed with a handle. The drive rod also has a lower end. The lower end is provided with parallel coil springs coupled to the table adjacent to the driven end. The drive rod has an intermediate extent between the upper end and lower end. The intermediate extent is provided with pivot pin secured with respect to the table. The driven control assembly also includes a collar rotatably receiving the driven cylinder adjacent its exterior end. The driven control assembly further includes a link pivotally coupling the collar and the driven cylinder adjacent to the handle. In this manner the spring will urge the drive rod, link, collar and driven cylinder into engagement with a piece of produce and reverse movement of the handle by an operator will reverse the movement of the driven cylinder. A drive cylinder is next provided. The drive cylinder has an interior end adjacent to a point positioned above the central operating region of the working surface. The drive cylinder also has an exterior end over the drive end of the working surface. A central section of the drive cylinder is provided between the interior end and the exterior end. The drive cylinder is coaxial with the driven cylinder. Next provided is a drive support. The drive support has an upper end. The upper end has axially spaced cylindrical bearings receiving the drive cylinder for axial reciprocation and for rotation there within. The drive support also has a lower end mounted on the working surface adjacent to the drive end. A cylindrical sleeve is next provided. The cylindrical sleeve has an exterior surface mounted in the bearings for rotational movement. The cylindrical sleeve also has an interior surface receiving the drive cylinder. In this manner, the drive cylinder is capable of axial and rotational movement. The sleeve is formed with an enlarged cylindrical block. The block has interiorly extending pins. The block has a circular plate with a point aligned with the drive cylinder and supplemental holes for the passage of the point of the drive cylinder. A coil spring encompasses the drive cylinder with one end contacting the block and one end contacting the plate for urging their separation. A drive control assembly is next provided. The drive control assembly includes a motor mounted to the table. A variable speed drive pulley is mounted to the rotor of the motor. A driven pulley is mounted on the sleeve. A drive belt couples the pulleys. The drive control assembly also includes a foot control to activate the motor, sleeve and drive cylinder at a preselected speed and also the driven cylinder when a piece of produce is coupled between the cylinders. Lastly, a safety switch is provided. The safety switch is mounted adjacent to the exterior end of the drive cylinder and adapted to be contacted by axial movement of the drive cylinder to allow rotation of the motor, sleeve, and cylinders only when a piece of produce is supported by the cylinders but to preclude such rotation when no piece of produce is so supported.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or Illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved produce mandrel system which has all of the advantages of the prior art food processing equipment of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved produce mandrel system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved produce mandrel system which is of durable and reliable constructions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved produce mandrel system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such produce mandrel system economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a produce mandrel system for rotating a piece of produce such as a fruit or vegetable while removing its exterior surface.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved produce mandrel system with a driven cylinder formed with a point. A driven support receives the driven cylinder for its axial reciprocation and for rotation there within. A driven control assembly has a handle and a collar receiving the driven cylinder whereby movement of the handle will axially shift the driven cylinder. A drive cylinder is formed with needles and a guard with a point coaxial with the driven cylinder. A drive support with bearings receives the drive cylinder for its axial and rotational movement. A drive control assembly includes a motor to rotate the cylinders.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the Invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.